This invention relates generally to motorized table saws and, more particularly, to portable motorized table saws for the cutting of small workpieces, such as ceramic tile and the like.
Electrically powered table saws for the cutting of small workpieces, such as tile and the like have been well known for years. It is generally desirable for tile saws to be portable so that they can be used in close proximity to the tile job, which could be in a small bathroom or kitchen. Larger tile saws that are not readily portable must be left in the back of a work truck, thereby forcing a tile worker to waste time making numerous trips between the work area and the truck to cut tiles.
One such table saw includes a motor mounted to a support arm extending upward from the edge of a structural frame with a sliding table mounted thereon. A circular blade is mounted to the motor in a position to cut workpieces on the sliding table. The reciprocating table does not extend beyond the edges of the frame. Because the cutting of ceramic tile involves the use of water as a lubricant for the saw blade, the frame of the table saw is mounted on the upper edges of a rectangular tub functioning as a catch basin for water used in the cutting process. The motor of the saw is electrically powered and has a motor switch mounted thereon that is manually activated each time a tile is to be cut.
While this table saw has proven to be generally satisfactory, it has a number of drawbacks that render it inconvenient to use and limit its ability to cut different size tile in confined spaces, such as a small bathroom or the like. Significantly, the distance between the saw blade and motor support arm limits the size of the workpiece that can be cut by the saw. Further, because the reciprocating table is limited in its travel to the ends of the frame, the saw is further limited in its ability to cut long tiles. Yet another drawback is related to the manual switch that activates the motor. Because this switch must be activated by the operator again and again as each of numerous tiles are cut, a particular job will take longer due to the cumulative time spent in activating and deactivating the switch for each tile cut.
It should, therefore, be appreciated that there is a need for a portable and compact saw that permits the cutting of large workpieces and that can be repeatedly operated without requiring manual activation of an on/off switch. The present invention fulfills this need.